Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits and/or external removable devices in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain its data and can include random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), among others. Non-volatile memory can retain stored data when not powered and can include NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, phase change random access memory (PCRAM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), spin torque transfer random access memory (STTRAM) and magnetic random access memory (MRAM), among others.
Memory devices can be combined together to form memory systems, such as a solid state drive (SSD) or a rack of memory cards, for example, that include memory devices. Memory systems, such as an SSD or rack of memory cards, can include non-volatile memory (e.g., NAND flash memory and/or NOR flash memory), and/or can include volatile memory (e.g., DRAM and/or SRAM), among various other types of non-volatile and volatile memory. Flash memory devices can include memory cells storing data in a charge storage structure such as a floating gate, for instance, and may be utilized as non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flash memory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption.
Memory systems can be used to replace hard disk drives as the main storage device for a computing system, as the solid state drive can have advantages over hard drives in terms of performance, size, weight, ruggedness, operating temperature range, and power consumption. For example, memory systems can have superior performance when compared to magnetic disk drives due to their lack of moving parts, which may avoid seek time, latency, and other electro-mechanical delays associated with magnetic disk drives. Memory system manufacturers can use non-volatile flash memory to create flash memory systems that may not use an internal battery supply, thus allowing the drive to be more versatile and compact.
A memory system can include a number of memory devices, e.g., a number of memory chips. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a memory chip can include a number of dies and/or logical units (LUNs), e.g., where a LUN can be one or more die. Each die can include a number of memory arrays and peripheral circuitry thereon. The memory arrays can include a number of memory cells organized into a number of physical pages, and the physical pages can be organized into a number of blocks. An array of flash memory cells can be programmed a page at a time and erased a block at a time. Operations, such as read, write, and erase operations, performed on a memory system can be limited by the amount resources available in the memory system to manage operations by the memory devices in the memory system.